Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Nonprofit Management of Sacramento Zoo

The nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society took over management of the Sacramento Zoo several years ago due to the city being unable to care for it, and the benefits have been consistently good, as witnessed by this latest effort, from today's Bee, of fundraising and planned growth.The key comment here is: "The nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society spearheaded fundraising efforts...", fundraising capability being a huge benefit of having a nonprofit contract with the public ownership to manage a major public resource, as our organization is calling for with the Parkway.

Caring for the crittersSacramento Zoo to build on-site veterinary hospitalBy Erika Chavez -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, November 30, 2005The ring-tailed lemur soon will have a place to repose, and the spotted hyena will have a haven in which to heal.

A groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the Sacramento Zoo will be the first step toward a long-awaited on-site veterinary hospital, a $2.5 million project slated for completion by next fall.The Dr. Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital will house a laboratory, treatment rooms, intensive-care unit, holding and surgery facilities, said Mary Healy, director of the Sacramento Zoo.

Windows will allow zoo visitors to watch as the animals are cared for, a rare "behind-the-scenes" peek into the inner workings of a modern zoo.

The 5,000-square-foot hospital will be a key part of maintaining the zoo's accreditation with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Healy said.

The goal: to maintain a healthy animal population through routine physicals and exams.

"Preventive medicine has become a much larger piece of taking care of zoo animals than it has been historically," Healy said. "We've been making do with a one-room clinic and a bathroom that we converted for X-ray processing, but we know we need to get more sophisticated with our animal care."

The nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society spearheaded fundraising efforts and, to date, has raised more than $1 million. The society's board decided to take out a loan to cover the remainder of construction costs.

This blog is part of the ongoing work of the American River Parkway Preservation Society to provide public education and advocacy around public policy issues that may be related to the Parkway and the adjacent communities along the American River in Sacramento, California.